Act to save civilization

Tim Roberts says read Plan B 3.0: Mobilising to save civilization and ask questions of those in authority or power. Plan B affords us a well-written and sobering base from which to view our current reality and pose those vital questions that will shape our futures and children’s safety

Bill Clinton urges us all to heed the advice of Plan B’s author, Lester Brown. Philanthropist Ted Turner bought 3,756 copies of this book and sent a copy to world leaders and policymakers. Ken Schwab of the World Economic Forum decreed that this is: “A great book which should wake up humankind!”

Schwab is right. I have, quite truthfully, been waking up at night as I read this book. For the first few nights I awoke through fear because my family will suffer as a result of what Brown writes about – as will your family.

The next few nights found me waking up and thinking
about the exciting new possibilities that are open to us. But we can only glimpse these possibilities if we make an effort to understand what’s happening to our planet and civilisation. That means we all have to learn.

We have no more time to indulge in denial, or to let political salesmanship focus our minds on the short term. We need to objectively consider the mid to longer-term view but to act now, in the present.

Friends ask why I would bother to read a book I find this disturbing. This comment shows a natural desire to hide from painful truths – our main coping mechanisms are procrastination and denial. But if I want to be a responsible parent, colleague and citizen I need to understand just how precariously balanced our world is.

Brown draws together many of the threads that show how life on earth, and humanity, are declining (despite human-population growth). He ties together cause and effect. Taken as a whole, this is too big and frightening to ignore.

You are and will be touched by this. There is no space to be a loner. You are in this up to your neck and the only way out is by changing and helping others to change, anything less is collusion.

Some of Brown’s examples in Plan B 3.0: Mobilising to save civilization include:

Mass extinctions
There have been five great extinctions since life began. We are living in, and causing, the sixth. We may end up being part of it.

As life forms disappear they further stress those that remain. We are witnessing diminishing pollination, seed dispersal, insect control and nutrient recycling. This means that the whole web of life is weakening.

One dramatic example is the decline of the honeybee. The consequences to all life from this busy pollinator’s demise are severe.

Another threat is to fish; 90% of the large fish in the
oceans have disappeared during the last five decades and 65% of North American river and lake fish are extinct or in jeopardy.

Ocean fish stocks from the tropics to the poles are becoming exhausted. As local fisheries collapse, it puts pressure on others. EU nations are buying licences to fish off the coast of western Africa.

Nations such as Senegal desperately need these licence fees in the short term but at a huge cost. Local Senegalese fishers now fail and fish stocks decline further.

Tipping point
Brown reminds us that many other civilisations have come and gone. He explores the tipping points of the Mayan (deforestation), Sumerian (soil erosion), and others.

Although our civilisation is bigger and more technologically advanced, we face similar destructive triggers of deforestation, soil erosion, water loss and the chaos of climate change.

Water loss
Water tables are dropping all over the planet. Rivers and lakes are running dry. The global water deficit is a result of tripling demand.

Many countries, such as India, China, the US, Pakistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia, can’t access enough water to grow food and maintain life in the long term, given current rates of consumption.

These countries are drilling deep into the earth to mine water from aquifers. These aquifers will largely be exhausted in a few decades and rainfall and rivers will not replenish them. When this happens, hundreds of millions will be on the brink of survival.

Brown writes: “Since the overpumping of aquifers is occurring in many countries more or less simultaneously, the depletion of aquifers and the resulting harvest cutbacks could come at roughly the same time…creating unimaginable food scarcity.”

What will those hundreds of millions of thirsty, hungry and desperate people do? Who could escape such turmoil untouched.

Life expectancy
Life expectancy has dropped for large parts of the human population. The gap between rich and poor widens. Swiss life expectancy is 80 years whereas in some African countries it’s 40. On average, Russian males now live to only 59 – down from 64 in the 1990s.

One billion humans worry about getting food and another 1.6 billion worry about eating too much! And, 60% of all new-born babies in India would be in intensive care had they been born in California.

Pollution
Industrialisation is causing longterm damage. Brown explains that 200 human diseases are linked to pollution.

These include 37 forms of cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, hyperactivity, deafness, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

Over an 18-year period, death from brain diseases,
notably Alzheimer’s, have more than tripled for men and doubled for women. A random blood test of Americans will reveal measurable amounts of chemicals that did not exist a century ago.

Nations in crisis
The more stressed nations are the more prone to failure they become, which means they breed disease, violence and terrorism, and this directly or indirectly
affects other nations.

Opportunities
Plan B has helped me to make better-informed decisions that will help my family, community and hopefully, in a small way, our world.

Brown says that if the world moves fast, as when the US geared up for World War II, we can help to delay or offset much of the potential chaos. You have to help, just like I do.

Brown says that our survival “…depends on what you and I do to reverse these trends. It means becoming politically active. Saving our civilisation is not a spectator sport.”

You are influential. Your MPs depend on your vote. By writing to them you can change policy.

Please read Plan B and ask questions of those in authority or power – whether they are MPs, people at work, teachers of your children, in your church or your
friends.

Humans are unique. We grow in the direction that we persistently ask questions. We also lead best in the presence of reality. Plan B gives us a well-written and sobering base from which to view our current reality and pose those vital questions that will shape our futures…and your children’s safety.

If you work with the community, buy a copy of the book and circulate it. It will help inform your strategy. If you make policy, especially police policy, you must read this book.

Please do four things:
● If you are reading this article online then please email the link to friends and ask them to read it
● Read Plan B, then write to your MP and the Prime
Minister demanding change
● Support one conservation group
● Alter one (at least) of your environmentally destructive habits (we all have them).

I am reminded of a story. A man dies and arrives at the pearly gates. Saint Peter opens the gates and says: “You poor soul, come in. You are welcome here. Please tell me all about your struggles; it must have been so hard on Earth.”

“No, not really,” said the man, “I had a comfortable
life with everything that I wanted and more besides.”

“Surely, you must be putting on a brave face,” said Saint Peter, “but there’s no need for that here. Please let me tend your wounds.”

The man looked confused and replied:“But I have no wounds.”

“Oh!” said Saint Peter, “Was there nothing worth fighting for?”

Plan B 3.0: Mobilising to save civilization By Lester R Brown, Published by WW Norton & Company, can also be downloaded from www.earthpolicy.org

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